A possible impementation of ethnic groups

[chrispie]

http://www.chrispie.net/ggs/ethnicities.html

If you go to the above link, I've described there one way I think we could implement population groups with ethnic descriptions etc.

Comments, complaints etc. here please

[Nath]

If for example, I sent people abroad to form new colonies in an unpopulated part of the world, and nothing else affected them, they would stay the same.

Instead of random mutations, I suggest that genes are affected by the surroundings and experience. For example, a population with a trading skill of 4 might trade a lot anyway, and its skill would eventually increase to 5.

About population splits, I think populations are being treated a bit too much like regions. I thought each hex/region could have one population object for each race anywhere in the world. This would let two races in the same hex have different properties and numbers.

Instead of simply holding technologies in 'countries' as has been done before. I've decided it's more realistic (particularity early on) to hold technologies as part of a population.

I'm not sure about this. This effectively makes each population almost a separate country that the player controls. Perhaps all populations may not have access to a given technology, but that could be handled with percentages and whatnot.

[chrispie]

About population splits, I think populations are being treated a bit too much like regions. I thought each hex/region could have one population object for each race anywhere in the world. This would let two races in the same hex have different properties and numbers.

Hmm, if I'm understanding you right, you mean that we store a possible link to all of the races in each hex? Cosidering a link would at the very least be 2 bytes, and the map 1 million tiles, thats 500k per race, simply impracticale.

I'm trying to think of a population more based on it's culture and lifestyle rather than "race" because of course a population can be of many different races. More than one race/ethnic group/culture per tile I believe will unnecessarily complicate things. Obviously, to say there's only one race per tile would be short sighted - so therefore I believe the only option is to have 1 ethnicity per tile. Still somewhat limiting, but the best option.

I'm not sure about this. This effectively makes each population almost a separate country that the player controls. Perhaps all populations may not have access to a given technology, but that could be handled with percentages and whatnot.

Hmm, you have a good point. But maybe it's okay to think of a population in terms of being very similar to a country. For much of humans history, people have existed under local small scale control in terms of chiefdoms or individual villages. You as the player, I assume - start the game as effectively in control of a single population, but with the ability to take control of any number of populations. Building a kingdom or an empire.

I think in the modern world the term 'country' has become a rather misleading name, because it unites the people and the political force in power - in reality the people exist on their own, and are influenced by the current political power in charge.

I'm not sure how we exactly handle the technologies in terms of populations, but I assume at it's most basic (political) control, you can only build improvements, units etc. where the technology exists. Obviously different techs will also have population advantages, like the plough improving the tonnage of food production.